Dharamshala: A Chinese lawyer known for his efforts for defending human rights has strongly supported the His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s call for a genuine autonomy for Tibet and his long-term vision to bring mutual benefit and friendship between the Chinese and Tibetan people.

Zhu Jiuhu, a Beijing-based attorney, expressed his support for Tibet’s genuine autonomy while defending his client Chen Daojun, a Chinese writer convicted for inciting separatist activities, during a trial in Chengdu on 5 November, reported Buxon News.

In his statement, Zhu Jiuhu spoke in strong support of His Holiness the Dalai Lama message to the China’s leadership and the Chinese people on 28 March, in which “His Holiness clearly said he is seeking a meaningful regional autonomy for Tibet within the framework of the People’s Republic of China and not separation of Tibet.

He backed the His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s concern about protecting the core of Tibetan Buddhist culture, the preservation of Tibetan language and unique identity of the Tibetan people and protection of Tibet’s ecosystem as Asia’s major source of water.

He said these objectives could become a reality only if the Tibetan people are provided with a genuine and meaningful regional autonomy as enshrined in the constitution of the People’s Republic of China.

He said His Holiness Dalai Lama’s appeal for meaningful and genuine regional national autonomy is consistent with the Chinese constitution and Deng Xiaoping’s policy to accord real regional national autonomy to all ethnic minority regions.

Condemning the Chinese government for making baseless allegations against His Holiness the Dalai Lama following the peaceful protests in Tibet in March this year, Jiuhu said the international community including governments around the world widely supported that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is seeking genuine autonomy and not independence.

Earlier, Chinese intellectuals and lawyers have expressed similar views supporting genuine autonomy for Tibet and asked the Chinese government to resolve the issue of Tibet through meaningful dialogue.

Attorney Zhu Jiuhu is well known for his human rights defense work. In 2005, he faced illegal imprisonment for 5 years for assisting Gao Zhisheng during a case on oil field in northern Shaanxi province.